Sometimes Salvation is Found in Agony
Chapter Seventeen
After the musketeers finished explaining the situation to their captain as they swiftly rode their horses to the palace to find him before taking off after Aramis, Treville angrily exclaimed, "I can't believe that you three didn't think that it would be a good idea to call in another of our men to keep watch over him while you were gone! Surely you should have known that he would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this? You four are all alike!"
D'Artagnan looked between his friends then turned his head down sheepishly as he answered, "It was stupid, you're right, but in our defense…"
"Save it!" the Captain replied before the young Gascon could finish. "Just find him. Do whatever you have to do. I will order more of our men to follow after you in case of trouble, should you need help. I swear, the four of you will be the death of me one day."
"You're wrong, Captain," Athos responded as he the rest of them quickly remounted. "You will die on a battlefield somewhere as you fight for the honor of our King and Queen, and for France. And it won't be a many years yet."
With that said, the three musketeers rode off as fast as their horses could travel, while Treville watched them until they were out of sight. He sighed worryingly just as Queen Anne walked up behind him, startling him, but he quickly turned to her as he bowed down and she simply smiled.
She spoke first as she said, "That sigh of yours sounded worried, Captain Treville. Your afraid of something, aren't you? Is something the matter?"
He shook his head and then answered, "It's nothing that you need to worry yourself about, Your Majesty. The last few weeks have just been a very troubling time for all of us and my men have been forced to work continuously and tirelessly. But, no matter how hard they work to keep us all safe, they never complain."
"You care for them as you would your own children," Anne replied with a sincere smile. "It's the one trait that I admire most about you. My husband most definitely chose correctly when he made you the captain of the musketeers. I apologize for only telling you so just now. I promise to commend you more in the future."
"That is very kind, but I assure you, completely unnecessary as your kindness toward me tells me all that I need to know," Treville responded, then took her arm within his as they began to walk. "Now, are you ready to join me for your evening walk around the gardens? The moon is full and it is a beautiful night, the perfect night for a leisurely stroll."
Meanwhile…
Renée cautiously walked into the Cardinal's private study behind Count Rochefort after making their way in through the many secret passages so as to not be discovered by the King, Queen, or any of their servants. It wasn't because the Count wasn't free to roam around the palace, but the young woman with him was now a secret emissary for Cardinal Richelieu, making her unable to show her presence to anyone unless it was for a job. Milady was good at sneaking her way around and soon enough Renée would be too.
When he saw her now cleaned up and wearing a large, black feather hat, a white blouse, and tight, black pants underneath a long, black leather coat, and dark leather boots, with a sword hanging down at her side, as well as a dagger hooked on at her left leg, the Cardinal stood up from his chair and smiled as he walked over to stand before her, kissed her on her cheek, despite her reluctance to allow him so close to her, then he spoke up saying, "You look ravishing, my dear. This new style of yours certainly does suit you very nicely. You will be seen as an admirable foe soon enough indeed."
She stepped back a few feet, then answered, "I hope so. Too many people have stepped over me my whole life. I will not allow it to happen ever again. I do like the new clothes, and the hat… this is more than I thought I would ever have. Trusting you and Count Rochefort is still the only thing I don't know I can do."
"Trust goes both ways," Richelieu stated simply. "You have to prove yourself to me as well and to start, you can begin by doing a job for me."
"Go on," she replied as she looked between the two men, one in front of her, the other standing beside her.
The Cardinal nodded and then responded, "I know that you want to kill Aramis of the musketeers. Unfortunately, I have a little problem that makes doing so a bit difficult."
Renée's eyes grew cold as she said angrily, "You gave me your word that you would help me to make that happen. I've been poor my whole life and while it isn't as grand as this, I know I can live as such. Aramis' death is the one condition for which I agreed to work for you."
"Just listen," Cardinal Richelieu continued. "I promise you, that I will work out a plan for that, but first, I need you to help me take care of another problem. I need someone temporarily out of commission and I believe I know just how to do it, though getting to her will most definitely be quite the challenge for you."
"And who is it that you think will be so difficult for me to get to, the Queen?" she asked mockingly.
The Cardinal sneered as he answered, "Precisely."
Renée stared at him, then looked over at Rochefort who was only smiling, and finally turned back to Cardinal Richelieu as she replied, "You have got to be joking? You want me, to kill the Queen, the Queen of France?"
"No, no, I never said I want you to kill her," Richelieu corrected. "She is a real problem for me and in order to accomplish the annihilation of the musketeers once and for all, I simply need her to be incapacitated for awhile and I know just how to do it. I want to see, if you are truly as good as you seem to think you are. What do you say, will you do it?"
"And what is it that I have to do?" the young woman asked again.
The Cardinal pulled something from one of his pockets and then held up a small vile in his hand as he responded, "Just slip her this and do not allow yourself to get caught. Because if you do, I will not step in to rescue you."
Renée smiled as she took the vile from him, then said, "I'm no damsel in distress. I can take care of myself."